Moving abroad with your family can sound incredibly exciting. A new country, a different pace of life, more space, lower living costs and the chance to build something from scratch can all be powerful reasons to make the move.
But there is a big difference between visiting a country and building your everyday life there.
When our family left the UK and moved to Bulgaria, we had plenty of research behind us — but there were still things we learned only after actually living there.
If you’re thinking about moving to Bulgaria with your family, here are 8 things we believe you should seriously consider before making the move.
1. Do Your Research
This sounds obvious, but it’s probably one of the most important things you can do.
Don’t base your decision on a holiday, a few YouTube videos or a property listing that looks like a bargain.
Research what everyday life will actually look like.
Look into:
- The cost of living
- Property prices
- Schools and education
- Healthcare
- Transport
- Weather and climate
- Internet availability
- Local employment opportunities
- Taxes and other costs
- Residency requirements
- The language
- Local communities
And perhaps most importantly, research the area you’re thinking about living in.
A country can look completely different depending on where you choose to live.
Which brings us to our next point.
2. Choosing the Right Location Is Important
One of the biggest decisions you’ll make is where in Bulgaria you actually want to live.
Do you want rural life, city life, or something somewhere in between?
Rural Bulgaria
Living rurally can give you space, peace, land and the opportunity to create a more self-sufficient lifestyle.
That’s one of the things that attracted us to Bulgaria in the first place.
But rural living can also mean being further away from shops, hospitals, schools, tradespeople and other services.
You may also need a car for almost everything.
City Living
Cities offer more convenience.
You’ll generally have better access to shops, restaurants, schools, healthcare, public transport and other services.
But you’ll potentially sacrifice some of the space, privacy and slower pace of life that attracts people to rural Bulgaria.
Somewhere In Between
For many families, the best option could be somewhere between the two.
A smaller town or village within easy driving distance of a larger city could give you some of the benefits of rural living without being completely isolated.
Don’t just choose a beautiful property. Choose a location that works for your family’s everyday life.
3. How Will You Make Money?
This is something you need to think about before you move.
It’s easy to focus on the cost of buying a house or how much cheaper certain things might be compared with the UK.
But your biggest question should be:
How are we going to support ourselves once we’re living here?
Will you work remotely?
Run a business?
Work locally?
Have savings?
Have an income from investments or another source?
If your income depends on the internet, your location becomes even more important.
A beautiful house in the countryside isn’t much use if you can’t reliably work from it.
Before moving, create a realistic financial plan that considers your actual monthly expenses — not just the cost of the property.
4. Understand the Cultural Differences
Moving abroad isn’t simply moving house.
You’re moving into another culture.
There will be differences in language, food, communication, traditions, bureaucracy, attitudes and everyday life.
Some differences you’ll love.
Others may take time to understand.
And some things that seem strange at first may eventually become completely normal to you.
Learning at least some of the local language can make a huge difference, particularly if you’re living outside the major tourist areas.
Don’t expect Bulgaria to become the UK just because you’re bringing your familiar routines with you.
You’re the one moving into their country, so learning how things work there matters.
5. Understand the Visa Process and Residency
This is one of the areas you absolutely cannot afford to overlook.
Buying a property does not automatically mean you have the right to live in Bulgaria permanently.
Your citizenship, reason for moving, income, family circumstances and residency route can all affect what you need to do.
Make sure you understand the difference between:
- Entering Bulgaria as a visitor
- Staying for a limited period
- Applying for a visa
- Obtaining residency
- Maintaining your legal right to remain in the country
Immigration rules can also change, so don’t rely solely on information from social media or someone else’s experience.
Check the current official requirements for your own circumstances before making a move.
The last thing you want is to buy your dream home and then discover that staying there legally is much more complicated than you expected.
6. Think About Transport
Transport can make a huge difference to your experience.
If you’re living in Sofia or another major city, you may have access to public transport and more services nearby.
If you’re living in a small village, your situation can be completely different.
Ask yourself:
How will we get to the supermarket?
How will the children get to school or activities?
How far away is the nearest hospital?
What happens if the car breaks down?
Can we realistically manage without a car?
For our family, having reliable transport became an important part of making life abroad work.
Before choosing a property, don’t just look at the house.
Look at everything around it.
7. Have a Plan B
This might be one of the most important lessons we learned.
When you’re excited about moving abroad, it’s easy to think about the life you’re hoping to create.
But what happens if things don’t go according to plan?
What if:
- Your income changes?
- Your residency application takes longer than expected?
- The property needs more work than you anticipated?
- The children struggle with the transition?
- You don’t settle into the area?
- You discover that rural life isn’t for you?
- Your circumstances change?
Having a Plan B doesn’t mean you expect to fail.
It means you’re giving your family some protection if life takes an unexpected turn.
A fresh start doesn’t have to mean burning every bridge behind you.
8. Make Sure You Have Good Wi-Fi
This might sound like a strange thing to put on a list about moving abroad.
Trust us — it’s not.
If you’re working remotely, running an online business, homeschooling, creating content or simply relying heavily on the internet, good Wi-Fi can become essential to your life abroad.
And this is particularly important if you’re looking at rural properties.
Don’t assume that because a property listing says there is internet, it means you’ll have the connection you need.
Check:
- What providers cover the area
- What speeds are available
- Whether fibre is actually available
- Mobile signal strength
- Whether 4G/5G can be used as a backup
- Whether the property has already been connected
If your income depends on being online, internet access should be part of your property research — not an afterthought.
Would We Do It Again?
Moving abroad with a family is a huge decision.
There are incredible opportunities, but there are also challenges that you simply can’t understand until you experience them.
Our move to Bulgaria taught us that building a new life isn’t just about finding an inexpensive property in a beautiful country.
It’s about finding the right location, having a sustainable income, understanding the culture, getting your residency right and being prepared when things don’t go exactly according to plan.
We’ve learned a lot along the way — and our journey isn’t finished yet.
That’s what Fresh Start Sticks is all about.
We’re sharing the reality of building a new life abroad as a family — the exciting parts, the difficult parts, the mistakes, the unexpected turns and everything in between.
Because sometimes a fresh start doesn’t go exactly the way you imagined.
And that’s okay.
The journey is still yours to build.